I cannot believe we are nearly at the end of April. What happened? May is already looking far too busy for my liking and I have been fearfully reworking day calendars, to-do lists, and doctor’s appointments over the past few days to tone down the craziness as much as possible. So far it is not working. The bright side is that most of the busyness is fun busyness.

What are you all making for dinner right now? I am in need of some fresh ideas. I am not full into summer mode (a.k.a. grilling every single thing), but I want to freshen things up a bit.

I made these biscuits again recently and they are so perfect with just a smear of butter and a drizzle of honey.

Denim dresses have been catching my eye lately. I think this one is so fun. It looks comfy and simple - perfect for hostessing. I also really love this top because I have completely fallen for the tassel craze that seems to be happening. While on the topic of crazes, have you noticed that cactuses are on everything? Like, EVERYTHING! I am petitioning for more plant equality. Hi there, can we give poppies some attention?

I put on my most adorable smile and batted my eyelashes the other night and managed to rope Mr. Pedantic into a little weekend shopping trip. I cannot wait. I love shopping with him, even if it is only window shopping. While I know shopping would never be his activity of choice, he gets into it for my sake and makes it all the more fun. My dad was the same way. He wasn’t a shopper, but every once in a while, usually when we were in need of some new church dresses or fall clothes, our family would pile into the van, stop for a special dinner out, and my parents would buy us everything we needed and often quite a few things we did not. These trips were not often, but that made them all the more special. I loved trying on dresses for my dad and laughing as he and my brother acted the part of fashion consultants. Let's move on before I cry...

How do you feel about pedicures? I think this is the season where one would go for a pedicure, but my last few experiences have grossly fallen short of expectations. The leg massage from the male technician was not one of my favorite moments. *Cringe* I would rather paint my own nails, thank you very much.

I am planning on trying out these apple fritters for the first time tonight. While I was searching for recipes, I noticed some disparity amongst the internet’s definitions of fritters. In my mind, a “fritter” is always deep-fried, but I met with quite a few recipes for panfried vegetable fritters. Is this one of those north/south things?

I am dying to try these crab cakes. In general, crab cakes do not tempt me at all because I would much rather have a plate full of claws, but these just look too irresistible. I also want to make these sesame crusted shrimp. I am thinking of serving them with rice and grilled pineapple because I know Mr. Pedantic won’t be super into the whole quinoa idea. I wouldn’t pass up this lobster macaroni and cheese either. Clearly I have seafood on the brain, it’s such a warm weather thing.

Mr. Pedantic and I just booked our Montreal excursion for the week of our one year anniversary. We are staying in the most beautiful airbnb and I am so excited. Please send all the restaurant recommendations our way!

What do you think about this trend? I’m not buying it, sour coffee just does not do it for me. We are definitely in iced coffee season though and I am dreaming up a couple of new concoctions to share with you all soon!

I kind of love this quirky bag. It would definitely be one of those cuteness-over-practicality purchases though.

Mother’s Day - it’s coming. Let’s not let it sneak up on us this year. Do something sweet for your mama, and don’t forget a card.

So this is where all the profits from the unicorn blended madness went. I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t mind a visit.

What are you going to be up to this weekend? I’m dreaming of raspberry lemon rolls for Sunday morning breakfast. It’s an oldie but a goodie (just try to ignore the lack of photography skills).

I am delighted that you are here! My name is Ashlyn Bowden and I am The Pedantic Foodie. I find familiarity, tradition, and inspiration in the kitchen, and this little corner of the internet is where I share my culinary shenanigans and try to force my workaholic, type-A self into practicing this thing I like to call Intentional Living. Can we bake pastry together?